The present invention relates to a new and distinct blueberry cultivar botanically known as Vaccinium sp. L. and herein referred to as ‘Perpetua’, as herein described and illustrated.
This new blueberry cultivar was discovered in Corvallis, Oreg. and originated from open pollinated seed of CVAC 45 (PI 296412) in the USDA-ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository collection in Corvallis, Oreg. CVAC 45 was collected from the wild in 1963 in Monmouth, Me. and is listed as Vaccinium corymbosum L. (highbush blueberry) by the USDA-ARS, National Genetic Resources Program, Germplasm Resources Information Network—(GRIN) [Online Database]. When CVAC 45 was evaluated in the collection, it was noted for its small fruit size and autumn fruiting. The plant's characteristics for fruit size, leaf shape, and leaf size are intermediate to those of V. corymbosum and V. angustifolium Aiton (lowbush blueberry). Since both species are found in the region where the accession was collected, CVAC 45 is presumed to be a hybrid between these two species. Perpetua's overwintering buds break in the spring, flower and produce a crop like most blueberry plants. Perpetua is unique in that the new growth produces flower buds that proceed to break bud without winter dormancy and then flower and ripen a late-summer into fall crop. While many blueberries will produce a few fruit in the fall on 1-2 buds at the tip of the new growth, ‘Perpetua’ will flower on up to 12-16 nodes on the new growth. The plant also has very dark green and glossy leaves that are very attractive during the growing season and that turn deep red in the fall. The combination of flowers, edible fruit, and dark green foliage in the late summer and fall make this plant a particularly attractive edible ornamental. The new cultivar has been asexually multiplied annually since 2005 by the use of stem cuttings. The present invention has been found to be stable and reproduce true to type through successive asexual propagations.